


Mutilated

by friendlylocalwhumper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Blood Loss, Blood and Gore, Dark!Arthur, Eye Gouging, Gen, Horror, Possession, Running Away, exhausted, merlin is kind of a badass, merlin is terrified but he's a survivor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 02:02:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15378300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlylocalwhumper/pseuds/friendlylocalwhumper
Summary: “I will make you suffer, warlock. You will wish for a punishment so lenient as one eye gouged out, then. I will take everything from you. I will make youbeg.”





	Mutilated

Pinned. Trapped, and it had happened so quick, Merlin hadn't thought to fight it. Arthur was atop him, and Merlin stared up in shock.

"Arthur, what-"

"Ah-ah-ah, don't move. If you even try to use your magic against me, I will gouge out your eyes." Arthur raised his thumbs as if about to dig into his eyes, and Merlin stopped breathing, he held so still.

"What are you doing?" The servant whispered, trying so hard not to move.

Arthur sighed, looking down at him in disappointment. "Don't speak, that's your only warning. You are to hold still and listen, do you understand?"

Merlin couldn't move, couldn't make a sound, so he just waited, eyes wide. He was very aware of the thumbs pressing lightly, steadily, just above his cheekbones. Ready to mutilate him at the hint of a wrong move. This must be magic. Someone, something controlling Arthur. Arthur would not do this. Surely, he wouldn't really hurt him like that?

"Now, I want you to use your magic to summon my sword to me."

His sword? No, why did he need a sword? A chill ran through the warlock's body. Was Arthur going to... kill him?

"No," Merlin answered softly. He couldn't. He couldn't arm Arthur, not if he was possessed. He was dangerous.

The king, his grip secure as when he'd placed it, shook his head in disappointment.

"Wrong answer."

With that, his right hand dipped forward, his thumb digging into the servant's eye.

Merlin screamed gutturally, with all his breath, drawing another to continue the raw, broken howl. Arthur dug in, crushing the organ and making the warlock's horrible cry rise in pitch and desperation. Heavy, hot blood raced down the side of his head. His intact eye was open wide, tears falling freely, adding to the picture of horror. His body convulsed with the unbearable waves of agony slamming into his nerves. His mouth was wide open with the sounds of pain being wrung from his throat.

"You'll find that I do not take disobedience lightly." Arthur pulled his thumb out, ignoring the sickening squelching sound it produced and the warlock's screams rising once more from the moaning they'd morphed into. Merlin shook miserably, pathetic sounds squeaking from him as he strained to hold still. Trembles wracked his frame and little keening sounds pressed on as Arthur moved past the gory brutality of a moment before, wiping the blood from his hand onto Merlin's shirt. The left hand remained a clear warning. Disobedience would not be allowed.

"Let's try this again. Summon my sword to me."

Brows furrowed and lips agape in lingering horror, Merlin swallowed a sound of distress. He gingerly turned his head to see the sword. He couldn't see it, though, not with his left eye... gone. He knew where it was, he put it there each day after polishing and sharpening it. Looking as far over as he could, chest hitching with each tumultuous breath, he reached his uneasy magic. His one eye glowed gold and the sword was raised from its stand slowly. It began hovering across the room toward them. Once it was close enough, Merlin guided it with his sight. It stopped just a little too far to reach, spinning idly in the air.

Arthur looked down at him expectantly, his grip by Merlin's right eye tightening in warning, and the warlock swallowed nervously. "I-I can't focus, c-can't see," Merlin squinted. "Is it not close enough?" His voice was small, unsure.

Scoffing in exasperation, Arthur let go of his face and stood from where he'd been pinning the servant.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin lamented, propping himself up on his elbows. The blond turned, confused, in time to see the warlock's eye burn gold. Arthur flew back, hand still gripping the sword, repelled by defensive magic. Merlin scurried to his feet and ran for the door.

"GAHHH!" The king bellowed in fury, but the warlock was already halfway down the hall, running harder than he ever had before. His lungs burned, his feet hit the stone floor, sending him away from Arthur as fast as he could manage. He attempted to round the first corner - 

\- and ran straight into the wall. He'd completely miscalculated the distance. Merlin fell right back on his rear, hand going up to his nose. It was bleeding from the collision, but it didn't feel broken.

_"MERLIN!"_

The enraged yell from down the corridor made the warlock's hand fly to the ground, shoving against it for leverage. He careened onto his feet and ran again. The blood streamed down his face, both from what had been his eye and from his nose. He felt nauseous but he sprinted still. He did his best to make it around corners, slowing a bit and turning his head more to see the turn with his eye. He bolted for the only place he could think of that would hold a magic-maddened king.

He nearly tumbled down the stairs to the dungeons, missing a few steps, but he was going so fast, he hit the next steps each time well enough. Arthur was gaining on him, far more fit than a mere servant. He dashed toward the cells, his throat burning and breaths coming too quick.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, following the warlock to the cells. He made it a few seconds later, seeing the boy curled up in the corner of the cell, arms wrapped around his chest in fear, chest rising and falling erratically.

"You'll pay for running," The king promised, advancing on him. Before he could raise his boot to kick the cowering servant, Merlin disappeared in a shimmer of shadow.

"What?"

There was a sigh from behind him, and Arthur turned on his heel. Merlin was outside the cell, which was now closed and locked. _An illusion._

"How dare you imprison your king! Unlock that door, now!" Arthur's demands went unheeded as Merlin stumbled back into the wall, sliding down to lean against it, watching the trapped king tiredly. Arthur sobered up and raised his sword. "I will kill myself. This vessel, your precious king. He will die." The warlock waved his hand numbly, eye flashing, and the sword flew from the cell and clattered to the floor out of reach.

He leaned back into the wall, head pounding. Blood leaked lazily from what had been his eye, no longer pooling and gushing out. He was light-headed from the blood loss, sore. It was gone, crushed beyond repair, though it felt as if he could open it and see well again if he only tried hard enough.

"I will make you _suffer,_ warlock. You will wish for a punishment so lenient as one eye gouged out, then. I will take everything from you. I will make you _beg."_

Merlin did not listen. Maybe he couldn't hear. He wasn't much aware of his surroundings now, his vision going a bit dim. He didn't have nearly as much peripheral vision now, and the darkness unnerved him to no end. He could smell the metallic tang of blood, could taste it. It clung to his face, drying uncomfortably.

A while passed before Arthur spoke again. Merlin's breaths came even now, almost too slow. He wanted to sleep, but his head throbbed terribly, and he was too on edge to consider resting. He had no inclination to go somewhere, so he simply sat where he'd half-collapsed.

"Merlin, I-I... I don't know what came over me. What happened?"

The warlock ignored the king.

"Merlin, I'm sorry, whatever I did."

Whether it was a trick, of the possession had ended, Merlin did not care.

"Please, talk to me."

He didn't even bat an eye.

"Merlin?" A new voice. Gaius. The warlock didn't look up from the floor to see the Physician, who approached slowly. Perhaps he'd heard tell of the chase across the castle. Maybe he'd expected to find his ward in the cell, being punished for some quarrel with Arthur. Not the king locked up and Merlin holding vigil.

"Sire? Are you alright?"

The servant almost smiled humorlessly at that. Of course. It was perfectly in order to see to the king first.

Gaius could not see the blood, not the way his head was turned. He did not know, or did not care to.

"Gaius, let me out. Merlin is a traitor."

Before the physician could even consider obeying, Merlin's eye glowed and there was a hot light burning at the lock of the cell door. It was now welded shut.

"Merlin!" Gaius was taken aback. "What - what have you done?"

The warlock began an attempt to stand, using the wall for support. When he was finally upright, he turned to face Gaius, whose shock was immediate.

Merlin was silent. He glanced at the possessed king, who snarled in hostility.

"I think Arthur's possessed," He offered lamely, staggering toward the physician, who caught him. "Will you take me away from him, Gaius?" It would have sounded vulnerable, innocent, fearful if Merlin was not so weary. If he was not a powerful, merciful young man who had just suffered torture at the hands of his greatest friend. "Please."

"Yes," The old man answered, helping his ward stay upright, and casting a wary look at the fuming, imprisoned king. For once, Gaius did not pester, he did not prod or press for information. He simply guided Merlin out of the dungeons, away from Arthur, who watched them darkly.


End file.
